I was very indecisive about this trip. I really didn't think I'd go and, as late as Thursday afternoon, I was talking myself out of going and just spending a long weekend around the house.
I have several vacation days I have to use before the end of the year. With several scheduled for deer hunting and a few scheduled for no reason in December, I decided that since the weather doesn't look too heinous this weekend, I should not waste the vacation time. Life is short, and I wouldn't want to be sitting in front of the TV wishing I had gone somewhere.
So at nearly the last minute, I decided to go and see Maria in Wisconsin. The weather for the trip North on Friday and South on Sunday look very good for late October/early November. Saturday looks wet, but hopefully it won't be too bad without many miles planned. Before leaving, I did a quick scouting on the deer hunting land since that was on the agenda for the weekend and packed up what was needed for the trip.
I waited to leave Friday morning until it was light out. Forecast was for decent weather, but leaving around 9:00, the sky was socked in with clouds. Temperatures were tolerable in the mid 40's. Waiting to leave also allowed me to have coffee and eat cornbread pecan waffles.
Once out of the house, I took 2-lane roads for a while, jumping on the interstate to go around Indianapolis. As I was nearing Indy, a white car came zooming up behind me and tailgated terribly. Looking in the rear view mirror, it looked a little like a law enforcement vehicle and had a spotlight, but no light bar, so I continued passing the two cars I was overtaking. A second glance in my rear view mirrors showed blue and red lights flashing - the lights were inside the car.
I got over and was ready to be pulled over, but the cop pulled up beside me and pointed at his eyes, then the road, then zoomed on away. I'm not entirely sure what the mime meant, but I can only guess it meant a) Pay attention motorcycle guy* b) I've got my eyes on you motorcycle guy c) I'm late for my optomitrist appointment.
*If I would have known for sure the car was law enforcement, I probably would have gotten over. But given that there is no reason to automatically move over for law enforcement without lights on, the situation was quite ambiguous and it was just as likely that had a sped up and gotten over, he would have pulled me over for speeding. Oh well, it is best not to overthink these things.
Later in the day with another state trooper behind me, I did greatly speed up to get around a guy going very slow in the left lane, with trucks merging just ahead. That Illinois state trooper just ignored me.
Shortly after getting around Indianapolis, I got off the interstate again back onto 2-lane roads. Around this time, the clouds cleared and the weather got very nice for late fall. Temperatures warmed into the 50's, and with the sun and slower speeds, it was very pleasant.
At one point, I got behind a large truck, carrying a power windmill blade, with an escort police vehicle. The truck was going VERY slow through a small town and I figured that was going to push me onto the interstate again, but the blade stopped at a truck stop, freeing traffic to resume normal pace.
I stayed on 2-lane roads as long as I could and set the GPS to avoid tolls. This put me through Rockford, before crossing into Beloit, Wisconsin for the night. Not being required to pay the BS toll at the Wisconsin border was worth going through Rockford.
Dinner that night was a double bacon burger at a restaurant next to the hotel.
Given that temperatures this time of year can be very temperamental, it was a great late fall day on the bike.
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